1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to hair grooming clipper attachments and, more particularly, is concerned with improvements to the vacuum or suction attachment for hair grooming clippers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One of the main concerns of a professional dog groomer is the breathing of fine dog hair and dander into the lungs. This can be a serious problem, as hair does not dissolve--it accumulates. This can cause hair balls and hair emphysema. These small sharp hairs can also become embedded into the groomer's skin and must be removed before they enter tissue or the blood stream. The breathing or assimilation of fleas, ticks and their eggs and larva is another major problem. Parasites are very detrimental and destructive to both animals and humans.
To obviate these problems, vacuum systems are often employed with hair grooming clippers. Typically, a suction head is attached to a hand-held clipper adjacent to its cutting head and is connected to one end of a flexible hose. The other end of the hose is connected directly or via an intermediate conduit to a vacuum generating unit for creating a vacuum in the hose. The vacuum condition draws air into the hose through the suction head, entraining hair cuttings in the air flow through the hose to the vacuum generating unit where the hair cuttings are collected, typically, in a container.
While the above-described vacuum systems have generally improved the cleanliness of grooming shops, reduced the potential hazards to grooming personnel from breathing in hair cuttings and other matter, and made grooming easier, a need arises from time to time to make certain improvements which will solve other problems that crop up and improve performance and productivity even further. Problems which have arisen as recognized by the inventor herein relate to inadequate air flow through the suction head and the inability to easily control the amount of vacuum applied by the suction head.